Centrifugal ball-throwing machine



Sept. l, 1953- J. M. FARRE, JR 2,650,585

CENTRIFUGAL BALL-THROWING MACHINE Filed Jan; ze, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet l D NR A n @w, g e

sept. 1, 1953 J. M. FARRE, JR

CENTRIFUGAL BALL-THROWING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1950 l m. o G n O Il l VN S, C -o o R o u am mw .QS

Arm/Wn of the fixed arm I6. The second end of the spring is attached at 35 to the end of a lug 55 formed on and projecting from the post 22, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The pull of the spring i2 is such as to normally hold the throwing arm 2 in its raised or elevated position shown in Fig. 5 or in dotted lines in Fig. 1, at which time the pad II is in contact with the stop I5.

The means for lowering or cooking the throwing arm will now be described. Such means includes a multi-armed cooking spider 31 which in the form shown, has three radial arms, shown respectively at 35, 35 and 40. This spider has its hub il secured on a shaft 42 rotative in bearings mounted in the brackets `43 and fil!- secured on the base plate I. Fixed on the shaft l2 is a sprocket 45 around which a chainliii extends, .said chain passing around a sprocket il se- Icured on a shaft i8 extending to a reducinggear unit contained in the gear-box i9 connected .ing within the gear-box inthe known manner.

Mounted at the end of each of the arms 55, 35 and E0 of the cooking spider is a roller 5i, and each of these rollers is-adapted in turn to engage against a cam block 52 adjustably secured by the screws 53 to one side of the throwing arm 2. 'The disposition of the cam block 52 is such that when the throwing arm 2 is in its raised position, as indicated in Fig. 5, the arm r the spider which is forward 0r to the right of the throwarm, such as the arm shown at te in Fig. 5, will have its roller brought into Contact with the cam block 52, and as the spider continues its rotation, the arm 38 will force the throwing arm 2 downwardly or counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, to a lowered or cocked position against the pull of the spring I2.

When the throwing arm has been depressed to a required extent and to a nearly horizontal position, the arm will be cocked and the roller I on the arm of the spider that has been operative against the throwing arm then reaches a position where it passes around the rounded end or nose :i of the cam block 52, as shown in Fig. 1, and the throwing arm, being then freed, will be vigorously swung upwardly by the spring i2 and brought forcibly into contant with the stop member I3. lThis abrupt halt of the arm 2 in its throwing arc by contact with the stop member,

.will dislodge the `ball 5 from the cup Ll and cause it to be impelled or thrown with force toward the right. as viewed in Fig. 1. The apparatus be enclosed in a suitable housing 55 provided with a front framed opening through which the balls are thrown or e'ected. The adjusting wheel 32 may be exposed exteriorly of the housing to permit of easy adjustment or the stop member I3. By adjustment oi said stop member the throwing arm can be controlled to thereby regulate the upward or downward throw oi" the balls.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved ball-throwing machine will be readily understood. rThe speed of rotation of the cockin.Cr spider may be regulated so that each arm of the spider will lower or cock the throwing arm at predetermined intervals, permitting a batter or other player toward whom the balls are successively thrown, to have suicient time to prepare himself for each ball as it is thrown toward him. As each arm of the spider has its roller 5I brought into engagement with the cam block 52 on the throwing arm, it will depress or swing the throwing arm 2 downwardly until the proper point of descent or cooking of the throwing arm is reached, whereupon the roller 5E will move on` the cam and the spring I2 will swing the throwing arm upwardly to bring it into forcible and abrupt contact with the stop I3, causing the ball held in the cup Ll to be thrown vigorously forward from the cup and through the opening 5'I toward the player. As will be clearly seen in Fig. 5, the axis 42 of the cockspider is eccentric or to one side and slightly elevated above the axis 'I of the throwing arm and hence engagement of the throwing arm by the arms of the spider will occur when the throwing arm is raised and a release of the throwing arm obtained when the throwing arm is lowered or moved intococked position.

The throwing device is useful in various capacities and in many games in which the propulsion of balls or other missiles is found useful or desirable.

While I have herein described one embodiment oi the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to rbe restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claim.

What I claim is:

A ball-fhrowing apparatus comprising, a base, a motor mounted on said base, a rotative shaft supported on the base, a chain drive from the motor to said shaft to thereby rotate the shaft, a multi-armed spider mounted on the shaft and rotated therewith, a pivoted throwing arm on the base, the pivot for said arm being located to one isde of the axis of the rotative shaft whereby the aro of movement of the spider is eccentric to the swing of the throwing arm, a cam ineinber carried by the arm and adjustable lengthwisely of the same, rollers at the ends of the several arms of the spider for successively engaging said cam and forcing the arm downwardly to a lowered position and then riding past the cam to release the arm, spring means connected to the throwing arm for swinging the same to a vertical position, a bumper a inst which the throwing arm impinges when swung by the spring means to a vertical po-ition, and means for adjusting the position of said bumper.

JOSEPH M. maar', Je.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,153,719 Simmons Sept. 14, 1915 1,162,910 Goude Dec. 7, 1915 1,310,613 Gilbert July 22, 1919 2,082,318 Atwell June 8, 1937 2,087,575 Littell et al. July 20, 1937 2,473,272 Blake June 14, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,567 Australia July 22, 1929 

